Usability serves as a vital component to the user experience. Usability utilizes the audience to measure the success of the app or website. Specifically, usability tests the service or product by allowing users to see how well they can navigate through the product or service to complete a goal. Typically, the UX design process uses usability testing from the initial design to the final deliverable. This allows UX Designers to have a full coverage and security in their usability testing.
In a quote from David McQuillen, he states how usability focuses on human behavior and ultimately recognizes that humans are human and will show actions as such. He further explained how humans “are not interested in putting a lot of effort into, say, getting a credit card and generally prefer things that are easy to do vs. those that are hard to do.” (McQuillen) The quote explains that usability is determined by the audience’s wants and needs. If the audience needs a specific product delivered in a specific way, the usability testing’s job is to figure out a way for users to successfully and efficiently complete a goal in the app to fulfill the need or want.
How well an app or website’s usability depends on how well its features help the user complete the want or need. The designer should take full responsibility for the success of the design’s usability. A successful usability plan should include five sub-components: Efficiency, Effectiveness, Ease of Learning, Error tolerance, and Engagement. The ease of learning component focuses on ensuring users do not have to do further learning and researching in order to the app or website. Users should not have to Google how to do a task in order to complete it while navigating through the product or service. Error tolerance involves calculating the amount of errors the user may face while completing usability testing. With the amount of errors calculated, you will determine how fast and efficient a user can solve the error or find a way around the error. This will allow users to gain familiarity in the situation of an error on the app, and also allows the designer to how the errors effect the usability of the app or website.
The ultimate goal is for the app to navigate the user through the experience for the. Icons, accessibility, and navigation should allow this process to come easy for the users. According to the Interaction Design Foundation, a product with high usability will be able to guide users to the easiest and least labor-intensive path. The further explain how to do so, you must have clear understanding of the context of the users and “you must accommodate their limitations, such as their environment, likely distractions and cognitive load.” (Interaction Design Foundation) A user should have a pleasant experience from the usability of the app. The app should not add complications to its use. Overall, the user should gain trust in the design and have satisfaction from utilizing the app or website.
